Trickin' Tonight
by Agent R
Summary: As Halloween draws near, the residents of Tampa are in for plenty of tricks, some harmless, some terrifing, and rest asure, Duncan MacLeod's home is no different.
1. Default Chapter

Tricking Tonight

"HEY RICHIE!"

The door to his English class flung open as Amber stepped in screaming for him.

"Amber what are you doing here? You don't take English II," Richie told her.

"I know that, but who the hell wrote on the hallway's wall with blood?" Amber asked.

"Amber, you nitwit, that's not real blood, any idiot would know that," Richie said.

"Well how would I know?" Amber asked, "It looked like real blood, it felt like real blood, if you think I'd swallow it and see if it were real, you're crazy."

"Allright, allright, what's got you so worked up?" Richie asked.

Amber jerked on Richie's arm, leading him down the stairs and into the hallway. On the wall was a fresh coat of red in the wall reading October 31st, 2000, be there or face the consequences!!!

"And Mac says I take things too seriously," Richie said, "Amber, you ninny, the campus is throwing some kind of Halloween bash and they expect the entire student body to come."

"Are you?"

"No way, I've got my own plans for that night," Richie said.

"Yeah, same here, what're you gonna do?" Amber asked.

"Oh I don't know, maybe pants one of the rival fraternity men and dump them in a cemetery...you?"

"I don't know, I think we made a mistake moving to Florida, we should've moved to Illinois, there's always something to do at Halloween at Illinois, and let's face it, Illinois is the most haunted state in the U.S.A," Amber said.

"You don't really believe in that stuff, do you?" Richie asked.

"Of course, and I got good reason to as well," Amber said.

"Why? What reason?"

"Well unless you or Methos got an extra arm, somebody's been grabbing me at night when I'm the only one in our room," Amber said.

"I think you're just paranoid."

"And I think you're getting to be as stubborn as Mac, come on, let's head for home."

"Well Duncan, you ARE a professor down there, I guess it's necessary to keep an eye on the college kids who attend," Amanda said.

"I know, but you have to remember, if the rest of the student body is going to be there, then two students in particular will definitely _not_ be there," Duncan said.

"Well, I'm all packed, goodbye Duncan, goodbye Amanda, so long," Cassandra huffed to Methos.

"Good riddance," Methos replied.

As it seemed the two of them were ready to go at each other, Amanda butted in, "Now! Now! Fester, Granny, you know the rules," Amanda told them, "When one of you leaves the other is to be nice until they're gone."

"Well Cassandra, you better hurry if you plan to catch your plane," Methos said.

The door swung open and in came Richie and Amber. Amber looked like she'd collided into a clothing store, she was wrapped in a large purple cloth with a coat hanger sticking up out of the back, and a handbag wrapped around her wrist.

"That is the queerest thing I've ever seen," Amanda said.

"So call me Tinky Winky and stick me in the Blue Oyster Bar," Amber said.

"What happened to you?" Duncan asked.

"I'll tell you what happened to me, community theatre happened to me. Just as we're ready to leave the college and come home, some guy from the theatre stops in and tells us they're doing a production based on the Origin of Halloween, and said they wanted me in it. Well before I could say I wasn't the least bit interested, they handed me my costume with the hanger intact and...here I am," Amber said.

"What are you?" Methos asked, "I highly doubt back then they allowed female Druids."

"Well Methos, you were there, were there or wouldn't there?" Amber asked.

"I'm not sure, I never saw their faces," Methos said.

"Well as much as I'd love to hear about what you were up to during that time," Cassandra said, "I must be going, goodbye Duncan, I hope to see you again soon."

"Not too soon, I hope," Methos mumbled to Amber.

"What I want to know is how did her 'one-week' stay here turn into two months?" Amber asked.

"Be nice, you have to admit, it was nice having her here," Amanda said.

"Yes, as long as she keeps her distance from this Welsh pinhead, then it's bloody magnificent, otherwise, you have no idea what you're talking about," Amber said.

"What was wrong with Cassandra?" Duncan asked.

"Oh gee, I don't know Mac. She comes without warning to kill Methos, almost kills me, then she ends up trying to sub-divide him when I already got a knife to his chest, gee, I don't know where I got an idea like that," Amber said.

"Enough," Duncan told her.

Duncan offered to give Cassandra a ride to the airport so she would catch her plane, while he was gone, Amanda decided to save him the trouble and make something clear to both Richie and Amber.

"The week after next during the college's Halloween party, Duncan was asked to go down there and keep an eye on everyone, you know, to make sure that nobody gets killed, nothing too obscene happens, oh, and also so nothing gets serious between anybody there," she started.

"Hey, no problem," Richie said, "Mac won't have to worry about us, we're not going."

"Yes, he told me that, which is why I'm telling you this now...I don't care what you two do that night, but we better not get any phone calls at 3 in the morning starting with "we have your son and daughter"...You two understand?" Amanda asked.

"Yeah, sure," Richie said, "so in other words...just don't get caught, right?"

"That's the idea," Amanda told him.

"Well, you don't need to worry about me, Amanda, I ain't gonna be doing nothing that the rest of the college who ain't attending the party will be," Amber said.

"That's the problem, just what is it that those people do these days?" Amanda asked.

"Oh, nothing they weren't doing twenty years ago," Richie said, "soaping windows, egging cars, TP-ing houses."

"And when that gets boring, we'll put razor blades in candied apples and place ground glass and poison into candy bars," Amber laughed.

Both Amanda and Richie looked at her with no humor in their facial expressions.

"It was a joke," she said.

"A bad one," Amanda said.

"Oh come on, Amanda, you know I wouldn't do anything like that, I don't know **how** you could fit a razor blade into an apple in the first place," Amber said.

"Amber, the only person who would find that joke funny would be a deranged lunatic with homicidal potentials," Richie said.

A few seconds later, Methos entered the living room, "Did somebody call me?"

"Did you hear what she just said?" Amanda asked.

"Yes, and quite frankly kid, you don't know when you're skating on thin ice," Methos said.

"Oh come on Methos, you can't expect me to believe that stuff **still** happens, do you?" Amber asked.

"Why not? Plenty of stuff still happens, don't you know what goes on this time of year?" Methos asked.

"I don't know anything, I live upstairs," Amber said cynically.

"Allright then, allow me to tell you," Methos said.

"Fine," Amber said as she walked over to the couch, "move over, Richie...the walking hourglass is going to give me a history lesson on the customs of Ancient Ireland."

"I don't think you'll have that sense of humor for long, kid," Methos said, "you see, it was originally a Druid custom, they took pleasure in sacrificing children, so they went to people's homes looking for a child or a virgin to sacrifice. When they had what they wanted, they left a pumpkin with a candle in it made of human fat, the pumpkin was a sign that no one else in the house would be killed that night. And when they couldn't meet the demand of a child or virgin, a hex was left on their door, much like the pentagram you see in movies today, only with an extra point in the star. That left someone in the house victim for death. Back then, it was called Samhain, it was a night of terror far worse than anything you could imagine."

"And since sacrifices continue in this day and age, and the Druid custom has practically brought witchcraft into another eon, that's why a bunch of people don't celebrate Halloween," Amber said, "now I get it, we used to have a lot of them back in my neighborhood."

"What? Satanists or people like Margaret White?" Methos asked.

"Both. It was like a war zone almost everyday," Amber said.

"I thought you said you grew up in Jersey," Richie said.

"What? You think we didn't have our share of spiritual conflicts?" Amber asked, "So tell me, o' wise one, how did Samhain morph into the twisted, seemingly harmless, slightly psychotic Halloween it is today?"

"The same way witchcraft went from being a reason for execution to a common practice. Time went by, more pig-headed people like Mark Humphrys came in, and took much belief away from everyone," Methos said.

"No kidding."

"Now everyone's convinced that everything is harmless, they think nothing can harm them, they think they're invincible from it all," Methos explained.

"Hey that gives me a great idea," Amber said.

"What is it?" Richie asked.

"I'm going to do this role at the theatre, only with a little 'Old-man' charm, what he just said is a hell of a lot better than anything they put in that damn script." Amber started up the stairs laughing, "this is going to turn their hair white."

Richie followed her upstairs, leaving Amanda and Methos alone in the living room.

"Well I think I'll get started on dinner, and hope it's done by the time Duncan gets back from the airport," Amanda said.

"And this time it doesn't catch on fire," Methos added.

"Wiseass," Amanda said.

"Jezebel."

"Bastard."

"Lady Godiva."

"Helot."

"Trollop."

"Son of a bitch."

"Whore."

"Martyr."

"Floozie."

"Lush."

"Easy."

"Impotent!"

"Medusa."

"Pain in the ass!"

"You would know, Amanda."

"Cretin!"

"Cretin? Now Amanda, I never went out with you and you know that."

What they were unaware of was that Richie and Amber were listening to them to from the head of the stairs.

"They sound like **_they_** were the ones that got married," Richie said.

"I thought it was bad enough having Cassandra here," Amber added, "So what do we do now?"

"Wait until dinner, hopefully Mac will be back by then," Richie said.


	2. 2

Duncan returned from the airport, it was already dark and after the day he had, he was relieved to be home. He got in the living room and plopped down on the couch when he heard Amanda bellow, "Dinner's ready, come and get it!"

Richie and Amber came sliding down the banister and ran into the kitchen, practically trampling Duncan on their way. Duncan got up, straightened out his back and went in the kitchen.

"Well, I'm hungry enough to eat a horse, what's for dinner?" Duncan asked.

"Roast beef."

"Same thing," Duncan muttered to himself.

"Roast beef, mashed potatoes, green beans, French rolls, cranberry sauce, salad, and appetizers," Amanda said as she removed her cooking apron.

"Oh boy! The eats!" Richie said.

Richie grabbed his plate and started grabbing at some of everything on the table; Methos sat across the table from him with his eyes wide.

"You know, when I was younger I saw all sorts of things, probably the most popular would be a swarm of locusts. And tonight I'm seeing it again," he said.

"Funny, old man, keep that in handy, maybe one of these days you'll be a comedian," Richie said as he finished scooping potatoes onto his plate.

"Amanda, I hope this is better than the last mess you cooked us," Amber said as she grabbed the roast.

Methos slapped her hands off the main course, "Hands off, brat. What would Emily Post say?"

"Every man for himself," Amber said.

"Eh, no arguing there," Methos said as he grabbed a plate of celery.

"Did something happen while I was gone?" Duncan asked.

"No, nothing at all, it's just been one very boring night," Amanda replied.

Amber sliced off a piece of the roast, then grabbed a bowl of the salad, she picked up a handful of grated cheese from it, and dumped it on Methos' head.

"Funny, kid."

Duncan grabbed a roll from the plate in the center, amazed that the 'school of piranhas' hadn't attacked.

"Well, if nothing's gone on, why is everyone so quiet? Usually means something's wrong, usually everyone's talking their heads off while trying to chew."

Everyone said nothing and just stared at their plates, Amber dropped her fork and sounded as she was choking, "there's something wrong with the salad..." Amber drew in a painful breath and blood started gushing from her mouth, she screamed, "Ah! There's glass in the salad!"

Amber fell back in her chair and landed on the floor, everyone was shocked, except for Methos, who continued to calmly eat his dinner.

"Allright kid, I think you've got them as close as a heart attack comes with them," he said.

Amber and Richie laughed as she got up and pulled up her chair again, "Take it easy you too, for Heaven's sake, a little ground glass in my salad isn't going to hurt me all that much. In any case, there's nothing wrong with the salad, it's just something I'm practicing for lunch tomorrow at school."

"Amber Jenzon that is the sickest thing I have ever seen you do!" Amanda said, "and I'm proud to call you ours. Now clean up that blood and eat your dinner."

"You KNEW about that?" Duncan asked Methos.

"Of course."

"I could kill you!" Duncan said as he grasped Methos' neck.

"Duncan, leave him alone," Amanda said as she peeled Duncan's hands off Methos' neck.

"You worry too much, MacLeod, you always have," Methos said.

"I don't find that funny, Methos," Duncan told him.

"A pity, I do."

"That's a pity allright."

"Hey Richie, try some of this potent smelling cheese, it tastes great," Amber said as she held her nose with one hand and slipped a piece of limburger into Richie's mouth.

"You know, Methos, one of these days that sense of humor of yours is going to get you into a lot of trouble," Duncan told him.

"Well I'll cross that bridge when I come to it."

"Next time, warn us ahead of time," Amanda said, "that just wasn't funny at all."

"Oh don't get your garter in a knot. They're just having a good time."

"Hey Richie, try some of these little green things, they look awful but they taste great," Amber said as she slipped bits of an artichoke down his throat.

"Well a good time like that can give someone a heart attack, you do realize that don't you?" Amanda asked.

"What're you worried about? Have you seen some of the people at that college? Most people who work there are over 50, it'll be a wonder if they don't have a heart attack."

"Still, that's no excuse," Duncan said.

"Oh come on, MacLeod, it's just a harmless prank."

"Tasteless too."

"Hey Richie, try some of these giant olives, they don't look too good but they don't taste so bad," Amber said as she handed Richie a plate of extra large Spanish olives.

"Amber will you eat something?"

"And stop stuffing the human piñata," Methos added.

"Sorry, but the taste of that theatrical blood ruins everything, just like when you pour salt into champagne, besides, no offense, Amanda, but no one in their right mind would eat your roast," Amber said.

"Told you," Methos said.

"Shut up," Amanda said.

"I like it," Richie said.

"Shut up," Amber repeated.

"What do you think Richie? I think I really got them tonight."

"Well let's face it, the way Amanda makes that salad of hers, it's a wonder people _haven't_ found glass in it," Richie said.

"You think it'll be convincing enough for those people in the cafeteria?"

"It convinced Mac and Amanda, and they're old enough to know when someone's usually putting on an act."

"True...Richie..."

"What?"

"Do you ever get the feeling that one day...you're just going to end up where you were three years ago?"

"You mean dead?"

"Yeah...but I don't mean by losing a battle...I mean, you were already dead once, maybe the curse I put on you won't hold."

"It's lasted over a year now. I think I'll make it. Besides, when you do something, you intend to make it last."

"I suppose, but what if it doesn't last?"

"Well, then at least I can die again knowing I got to see everybody again...why?"

"I'm just worried...I guess anymore I'm just worried about everyone."

"Yeah, well quit worrying, and get some sleep," Richie said as he fell back on his bed.

Richie turned over on his side and reached for the light when Amber went over to his bed, "Richie?"

"Yeah?" he yawned.

"You mind if I sleep with you tonight?"

"What?" Richie asked as one eye popped open.

"Never mind..."

"Get your ass back here," Richie said as he tugged on the back of her jeans, "what's going on?"

"Nothing, I just...Richie, I got a bad feeling about this, I think something's gonna happen tonight, and I don't want anything happening to you."

Richie said nothing for a minute, he pulled back the sheets on the other side of his bed and said, "well come on in then."

Amber pulled off her boots and slipped into bed beside Richie.

"Boy, it's sure been a while since we've done this," Amber said.

"Remind me why we stopped."

"I'll give you a clue, the Bronze Age."

"Ah."

"But none of that matters now, Cassandra is gone, Methos is alive, we're all in one piece more or less. And I'm for keeping you that way, now goodnight," Amber said.

Richie reached over and turned off his light, "goodnight, kid."

Both of them laid in the darkness for a while, both of them saying nothing to the other. Richie felt Amber's weight press against his chest.

"Richie..."

"What?"

"Promise me you'll never die."

"...Allright, I promise...besides, what's the worst that could happen if I don't pull through? You'll just put another hex on me."

"Hopefully I won't need to."

Richie wanted to ask why she was suddenly so worried about him, but he decided it could wait.

"I don't think it can wait, Mister MacLeod, I think you better get on down here and see this for yourself."

"Collin, are you sure about this?"

"I am telling you, someone broke in here last night and vandalized the entire university. We can't explain it."

"I'll be down there as soon as possible."

Duncan hung up the phone; Amanda came out of the bathroom and yawned, "What's going on, Duncan?"

"Collin just called, something's happened down at the college."

"What? What is it?"

"Someone broke in the other night and completely tore it up. They want me to come down and see if I might know who did it. Methos is coming down with me."

"What's going on, Mac?" Richie asked.

"We'll find out soon enough, where's Amber?"

"Right behind Richie," she said.

"Let's go," Richie said.

"Go where?"

"To the college."

"We go there everyday, what's so different about now?" Amber asked.

"You know MacLeod, aside from the graffiti and the thousands of shards of glass, I'm not sure I mind the place looking like this," Methos said.

"Why does that not surprise me?" Duncan asked.

Two police officers came into the room, "well from the looks of it, might be kids. Any idea who could've done it?"

"No you ass, they left last night when no one was here!" Methos said, "How in the world did you even get this job?"

"We'll see what we can find, but from the looks of it, broken windows, graffiti, desks busted apart, looks like someone might be out for revenge, do you know anyone who might have it in for a teacher or a student around here?"

"How should I know? I stay out of the teacher's private lives, I stay out of the kids' private lives, except for my own."

"Your kids, right...that's Amber Jenzon, and a...Richard Ryan."

"And don't give me that shit on he might be responsible for it, I know him better than that, he was at home all of last night."

"And you would know this how?" the first officer asked.

"I slept with him last night, if anyone knows, it's me," Amber said as they entered the room.

The officers turned around and gazed at she and Richie, "and you are how old?"

"Look 'Officer', get your damn head out of the gutter, there's nothing going on between us, we're just close friends," Amber said.

The second officer guffawed, "Sure...can you tell us when your last physical was?"

"What the hell do you want, a pregnancy test? There's nothing going on between us that's sexual...you weren't hired to question whether or not my roommate has troubling controlling his boners...so will you get off his back!? You're looking for more than a run-of-the-mill vandal."

"How would you know that?" the second officer asked.

"Come with me."

Amber and Richie led them down the stairs into another classroom, on the wall was a six-pointed star drawn of two triangles on top of each other, locked in a circle.

"What is it?" one officer asked.

"A symbolic hex, they were used back during Samhain when the Druids went to homes for children to use as sacrifices. When someone couldn't meet their demands, this was drawn on their front door, as a sign for Satan to kill someone in the house that night."

"So what we have here would be a what...Ancient History nut or something?" the other officer asked.

"It's not so ancient, people still use these things in their graffiti work these days, only now, they're more likely to use a pentagram instead," Amber explained.

"So...what would that make you? An expert in witchcraft or something?"

"Not necessarily. I don't mess with this stuff...but I suggest until we can find out who was responsible for this, we leave before something happens," Amber said.

The officers guffawed as they followed Richie and Amber down the stairs, "give me a break, kid. What could possibly happen?"

The officer went down on another step that broke and he fell down 35 steps until he came to a turn in the stairwell.

"Well, that for one," Richie said.

The officer was checked into the hospital for some damage to his ribs caused by the fall, the other insisted that it was just a coincidence, but when the dean found out, he suggested they keep the college closed until they could find out what was going on. So with no school to go to that day, Richie and Amber decided to stay out of the house for a while and go about the town for a while.

"You know something Amber?"

"What?"

"When Tess was alive, she taught me a lot about art, she said sometimes the best beauty in the world is natural...something a lot of people take for granted because they see it everyday...How come the sky never looks this good out of a window at the university?"

"Cuz they keep the blinds drawn all the time," Amber said, "like," she laughed, "like what we do in the college is some big illegal or forbidden thing, like it was Wiccanism or something."

"You know, we ought to get out more."

"Yep, my mother always used to say the world looks best when everyone's too busy to notice it...I guess that's why there ain't too many of these schools that open at night."

They took a turn in the sidewalk and crossed over to the crosswalk, halfway across the street, a car came speeding through and almost hit them when the driver slammed on the brakes.

"Hey you dumbass kids! What're you doing in the middle of the road!? Get out of here! Why ain't you in school!? Dumbass kids."

They jumped out of the street and the driver stormed off again.

"What's eating him?" Richie asked.

"Oh boy," Amber said.

"What?"

"Richie, do you remember what our philosophy teacher, Mr. Hale looked like?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Don't look up now, but I think he's got a stalker," Amber said.

Richie looked up at the top of the brick building on the next street over, someone had painted a larger than life-size picture of him on the top floor of the building.

"What do you think it means?" Richie asked.

"Well since there's no writing to go with it, it could either mean he has a secret admirer who's going too far, or someone's out to exploit, humiliate and eventually kill him," Amber said.

"Well, I say we get going before someone sets their eyes on us next," Richie said.

"Good thinking..."

"Methos, how could you be so STUPID!?" Duncan asked when he and Methos got back to the house.

"MacLeod, I didn't do anything."

"Oh no, you just had to go and tell Amber about what happened 6,000 years ago. Now the police think she's a witch!"

"They did not say that, they just asked her if she was studying witchcraft, to which she told them no. Besides, she was right, that hex was put there for a reason. This isn't just someone playing harmless Halloween pranks on the whole damn school."

Methos slipped out of the passenger seat in the car and slammed the door. Duncan waited a few second and got out himself, as he headed up the sidewalk, he heard someone screaming. He then found himself dodging a wooden clock that was thrown his way. He picked up the clock and went over to the fence, "Lou?"

"Duncan, what can I do for you?" Louis Christian asked.

"Well, I found your alarm clock, in my front yard, I thought maybe you'd want it back," Duncan said as he handed it to the man.

"I suppose so, you won't believe what happened to me today...first there was a power surge last night so all our electronic clocks are out of order, furthermore this handy dandy worthless piece of crap decided to go off three hours earlier than it was supposed to. Then when I set it again to go back to sleep, it didn't go off. Now the power's back on and we're trying to get our clocks back in order, but they keep going back to 2:00, I can't figure it out."

"Sorry to hear that, my day's gotten off to a bad start itself," Duncan replied.

"What's going on in the world of teaching?"

"Well, last night someone broke into the college and trashed the place, they spray-painted some sort of satanic trademarks on the walls, now we can't figure out who did it, they're not letting anyone into the college...furthermore, right after finding one of the hexes, a police officer fell down the stairs and injured his ribs."

"Damn, and I thought my day was off to a crappy start."

"Well, I guess that kills my plans for the rest of the morning," Duncan said.

"I guess so, I'll see ya later, I gotta get going."

"Where to?"

"Oh, I didn't tell ya? The Mrs. and I are due down at the church today for a youth service. Wish me good luck, I'll need it with the youths we have in this town."

"Hate to tell you, Lou, kids are like that everywhere."

"Yeah, these damn kids, no respect for people anymore, no respect. That's what they have, no respect for anyone or anything. What the hell is the matter with them these days?"

"They think they're invincible, they think nothing can harm them so they don't bother considering anything other than themselves."

"Too true, now your kids, that's a whole other ballpark."

"My kids?" Duncan asked, "what about them?"

"Take that boy of yours for example...last month the damn thunderstorm took down a tree, landed flat in my yard. Of course I couldn't get the lazy neighbors who owned the damn thing, to do a thing about it. Your boy however, removed it from my property and put it right back in their yard. Of course it took an hour, regardless, he's a good kid. They don't make 'em like that anymore. Well, I suppose I better go get into my formal clothes, I'll let you know how it went when I get back."

"Allright Lou, later."

Duncan headed into the house and was greeted home by Amanda.

"What's going on?"

"What? No hello?"

"Hello, now what the hell is going on?" Amanda asked.

"I don't know, we got there, the whole place was torn up, we have no idea who could've done it. There have been no complaints from the students or the teachers or the staff, or anyone. I don't know what's going on," Duncan said as he plopped down on the couch.

"Well, you're not alone, I've been talking to some of the neighbors, a lot of weird stuff's going on..."

"Like what?"

"Well," Amanda exhaled as she sat down next to Duncan, "Mrs. Harper on the corner, said that her clocks were set three hours ahead and then they wouldn't work at all."

"Now that's odd, Lou just said the same thing."

"And Mrs. Williams, across the street, says that she woke up at 5:30 because she heard her son dribbling his basketball out by the garage, he was asleep the whole time. There was no one out there or anything... I think the kids of this town are revolting."

"They certainly are."

"I mean rebelling, against what I don't know."

"How do we even know that its kids? How do we even know that it's someone here? They could already be out of town by now."

"Or out of state."

"My point is, we don't know what we're dealing with."

"Oh Duncan, property gets vandalized all the time...this shouldn't be anything new...all we have to do is keep a calm mind and get through this, in a few days it'll be all over.


	3. 3

The next week and a half passed by with little trouble, after a few days of investigating and turning up with nothing, the police assured the dean it was safe to open up the college again. Most of the repairs were easily taken care of, the graffiti couldn't be removed, so it had to be painted over. The painting of Mr. Hale was immediately removed from the building downtown, and most of the neighborhood got back to its calm, tranquil, boring atmosphere.

"October 29th, hot damn, Richie, in two days, we're gonna be having the time of our lives," Amber said as she circled the date.

"I know, I know, what I don't know is how are we gonna get Mac off our backs?"

"We'll think of something, besides, you're forgetting, he's going to help watch 500 drunk kids on the campus, he won't have time to follow us, he doesn't have an idea in hell where we're going."

"I still don't know where we're going, you sure we can trust these people?"

"Why not? They've never screwed me over before."

There was a knock at the door, Amanda poked her head in, "Are you guys allright?"

"Fine, fine, why not?" Amber asked.

"It's after midnight and you're still up," Amanda said.

"Amanda, I'm hurt," Amber said, "you're underestimating us...we usually stay up until 3."

"3 in the morning?" Amanda asked, "No wonder you're falling asleep in your classes."

"Just the first two...after that it's all downhill."

"So are your grades, Richie...now you two, into bed."

"Can't."

"Why not?"

"We're conducting an experiment on how one reacts to 72 hours without sleep," Amber said.

"You're just trying to get away with everything possible this time, aren't you?" Amanda asked.

"Damn right we are," Richie said, "this is going to be a good year."

"Yeah, get this, a few of our friends rented out this old house so we can start our party there, they're all gonna come looking like people from another century, and there's gonna be all that traditional stuff. Except, when we bob for apples, instead of water, they're using wine."

"And parents worry about razor blades being put into apples," Amanda said, "Look you two, tomorrow's the last day you have to go to that college for the week, so just cooperate and go to bed."

"Fine," Richie groaned.

Amanda turned off the lights on her way out the door, Richie and Amber jumped into their bed, laughing.

"I still can't believe what you got planned for Rick Mahoney, he is going to turn white as a sheet."

"That's the plan, what about you?"

"What have I got against him? He never snapped my bra," Richie said teasingly.

"You know what I mean, everybody who's going the night after tomorrow plans to do something great, so everyone will remember them until next year."

"I don't know, but when I think of something, I'll be sure and tell you," Richie said, "now goodnight, kid."

"Goodnight..."

Richie turned onto his stomach on the left side of the bed, and Amber rolled onto her left side on the right side of the bed.

"Come on, Richie, let's get this show on the road, if we're late today, Methos is going to chew us out."

"How can we be later than him? We live in the same house," Richie said.

"Very funny..."

"Allright, allright, I'll get the car started..."

Richie grabbed his keys and headed out to the car, and he opened the door on his side when he realized something was wrong. He slammed the door and saw that something had been painted on the door. It was the same six-point hex in the circle that was in the school. Richie felt a sensation of pins and needles in his back and neck, and he felt his face go pale.

"Allright Richie, let's get going," Amber said as she came out the front door and jumped off the porch.

Richie thought fast for a good excuse, and he decided to go with the first one that came to mind.

"Ah shit, Amber, I forgot to put gas in the car yesterday."

"No problem, we can stop by a station on the way."

"No, it'll take too long. Like you said, if we're late, Methos is going to be on our backs."

"Fine, we'll get our bikes out of the garage and still have time to drive there in about...12 minutes, let's go."

"Good idea, let's get going."

Methos got out of the car and slammed his door, "They're not here."

"Who?" Duncan asked.

"The brats, they're not here."

"Oh no?" Duncan asked.

They saw Richie come in on his motorcycle and parked beside a Mercedes.

"There's one," Duncan said.

A few seconds later, Amber came up on her motorcycle and parked next to Richie.

"And there's the other," Methos added.

Amber fell off her bike and cracked her helmet in the fall, she got up and started towards Richie staggering.

"I tell you, Richie, that's the last time I go driving **_ANYWHERE _** near construction," Amber said.

"Come on, let's go before we're late," Richie laughed.

"You're late," Methos told him.

"No more than you are," Amber said, "come on Richie, let's go."

"You go ahead, Amber, Richie will be along in a minute," Duncan said.

"Okay."

"What's going on?'

"Huh?"

"Since when did you ride here on _that_ deathtrap?" Methos asked.

"Since I found out someone drew a hex on my car," he replied.

"What?"

"Yeah, that same six-point star was on my car when I went out there this morning. I told Amber I couldn't drive it today, so we got our bikes and came. Can I go now?"

"Why? Your first class is my first class," Methos said, "we might both be on time today."

"Now class, it's important that you pay attention, History may be something that's been done before, but it's important we realize the mistakes of the past."

"We know already," Shelly said, "if we don't learn from the mistakes in history, we're doomed to repeat them in the future."

"Correct...now some parts of History have been declared as both mistakes and successes, a key part of history which is still used today is one of them. Propaganda, can anyone explain the basic concept of propaganda throughout history?"

"Eh...what the hell?" Amber said to herself, "Propaganda is and always has been a very ingenious plan, during the war, it was a way to make your rival's comrades his worst enemies. Very easily comprehended actually, it's basically a term of brainwashing someone to believe in something, whether or not it's true. Also, it's a way of making someone believe something, more or less without their realization of it. It has been used in many ways, one of which is the ever-so-faithful subliminal messages. Propaganda was easily spread in the use of them; people put messages of propaganda into advertisement ads, audiocassettes, television programs, etc. Of course, propaganda isn't the only reason people use those messages; they can be used for many different reasons. We tend to fall victim to them often without any knowledge of it. Of course, another way that has been done rather well is in books...Authors take a fictional atmosphere, background, characters, and throw in a not-so-fictional situation."

Methos eyes opened wide, "I'll be damned, someone in this class is actually paying attention."

"Give me a break, what else is there to do?" Amber asked.

"You mentioned authors putting not-so-fictional people and situations into fictional books, would you care to defend that response?" Methos asked.

"What've I got to lose? If I get it wrong I'll just have to go through this course again," Amber said, "take Ray Bradbury's ever-so-notorious book, Fahrenheit 451, it showed a world where everything was so modern, people drove at 120 miles an hour, all they talked about was sports and movies and music, the simple beauty of nature itself had become mediocre to everyone. It showed people's ignorance and fear that they resorted to burning books so peoples' feathers wouldn't be ruffled by reading the "wrong" literature. Of course people don't want to admit we're close to being like this, which is why most schools and libraries forbad the book. Or, if you don't like that, take Michael A. Smith's New America for example."

"Do tell. In what way?"

"Well, the book is based on a terrorist religious nut who is a false prophet and claims that God talks to him. He created "New America" on South Dakota, claiming that it was a better life for people than the "old America" as our location would be called. But in all truthfulness, although it had its good points, it also had many flaws to it. Say for example..." Amber looked around the room and found a student dressed in a leather jacket, torn jeans and a t-shirt with an obscene caption on it, "this young man here, if he lived in New America, would be arrested and put in the stocks, JUST for the way he was dressed. That's what they do to misdemeanors; a felon on the other hand, even if they weren't actually convicted of even ONE crime, would be immediately taken to the gallows and hung. Now, if you think that's bad, later on, it was said that the WWII generation was pretty much gone, but the few who remained learned that Jeremiah had plans for a nuclear holocaust.

"In addition to that, Jeremiah raped, impregnated and kidnapped a woman whose husband worked with the FBI when Jeremiah first came around. In an attempt to rescue her, the husband and his partner were arrested and thrown in jail. But not any jail, Jeremiah's jail. The guards would beat them severely and regularly, then threatened they would castrate and rape one of them the next day. This man was already beaten to the point that his eyeball was hanging out of its socket, but the guards never got to it, he died in the night. This all went on under Jeremiah's consent, and he claimed that it was all in God's work, that it was all in a prophecy to be fulfilled. He ran the land we know as South Dakota, all this went on there, and yet they called us the old, trashy Americans.

"Now, some of Jeremiah's methods, while highly grotesque, are not uncommon as far as the terrorists and the dictators and certain leaders and soldiers. Hitler was the cause for the original Holocaust, and some of his methods they used on the Jews when they caught them, were not all too different form what Jeremiah had done to his prisoners. And I believe that Saddam Hussein, who we were a day and a half away from catching during Desert Storm had his share of related action. Of course, you have to keep in mind that Saddam was a man who had soldiers' wives and children killed just to get information, Jeremiah killed with no rime or reason. Now, I wouldn't go and say that Jeremiah is to be expected to pop up anytime soon, but someone cut from the same dirt clod with the same taste for power and dominance can be expected anytime."

"Anytime soon would be great for you to get an idea."

"I told you, I don't know what it is. What do you want me to do? Get out a book of symbols and look it up?"

"Well you might try something, I don't like the looks of it."

"It's my desk, you think I like it?"

Duncan and Methos had finished teaching their first classes for the morning and were passing by the dean's office when they heard the argument, so they went in. There was the dean, and Mr. Sean Henderson, the biology teacher.

"What's going on?" Duncan asked.

"Someone came in here while I was gone, and carved something in my desk, I got no idea what in the hell it is. And if it's another one of those hexes like we saw on the wall, then..."

Methos went over to the desk, carved in it was an upside-down star with a goat in it.

"What is this? Sarcasm?" Methos asked, "Uh...Mr. Rooney, if I were you...I'd burn this desk as soon as possible if I were you."

"Why is that?"

"This symbol is of Baphomet."

"Who?"

"Baphomet."

"Who??"

"Is everybody here nuts?" Methos asked, "Baphomet...in a past lifetime, he was the god of Baal worship. This symbol is also seen in Masonic temples; often it brings nothing but trouble to people. If I were you, I'd get another desk in as soon as possible."

"I don't get it, I thought we were over this by now," Mr. Henderson said.

"Shows what you get for thinking," Methos said, "come along, MacLeod, we have to get to our next classes."

"So how are they doing in your class?" Duncan asked.

"Your kids are the only ones that pay attention...what about you?"

"I wish I had ANY kids in there that paid attention," Duncan replied, "Adam."

"Yeah?"

"Is there **_anything_** you **don't** know about the old cults?"

"Hardly...and if there is, I haven't found it out yet."

Duncan's next class was on the third floor and Methos' was on the first, as they reached the stairwell, they noticed something was wrong. Over on the other side of the second floor, a bunch of the students were hovered over a girl who was screaming. They immediately ran over to see what happened.

"What's going on?" Methos asked.

"I don't know, there was smoking coming out of the back of her blouse and she passed out," a guy said.

"WHAT?!"

"He ain't kidding, look at the burn on her shoulder blades," another guy said.

Two students carefully rolled the girl onto her stomach; her shoulder blades were bright red and blistered.

"Was there an accident?" Duncan asked.

"No, she didn't even know anything was wrong until she saw the smoke."

Ambulance sirens were heard and within a few minutes, paramedics came up the stairs and examined the girl.

"Everybody get back, please," one of them said.

Duncan and Methos backed up to a wall, Duncan whispered to Methos, "What is going on in this place?"

"I don't think it's just the university, MacLeod, before the month's over, it'll be something in the whole damn town."

Richie and Amber came down the third floor stairs when they saw the paramedics.

"What's going on?" Richie asked.

"So the dean finds a satanic goat on his desk and Julie Hopwood suffers a second degree burn?" Richie asked.

"You know her?" Duncan asked.

"She was in my philosophy class."

"Well I think she's lucky that a burn is all she got," Methos said.

"So what's going on? I thought Tampa was going to get boring again," Amber said.

"That's what everyone thought, kid, but apparently, they thought wrong," Methos said.

"Well, we gotta get going," Amber said.

"Where are you off to in such a hurry?" Duncan asked.

"Julie's home, we want to find out what happened according to her knowledge, ain't that right, Richie?" Amber asked.

"Damn right, I like her, if anyone's going to try and mess with her, they're going to have to get through me," Richie said.

"Well it beats the hell out of me what happened, I didn't even feel anything until Jamie pointed out the smoke," Julie said.

"What'd the doctors say?"

"Take cold baths, apply this damn aloe cream every few hours, get plenty of rest, and stay off my back for the most of it."

"Well at least you didn't have to go to the hospital," Richie said.

"At least..."

"Something weird is going on around here...first the vandalism at the college, then the officer falls down the stairs, then that goat on the dean's desk and now this!"

"A goat on the dean's desk?" Julie asked.

"It's a long story, now Julie, you get your rest, and we'll see you again soon."

"Where're you going?"

"To the hospital, pay respect to a dipstick hangnail on the long arm of the law," Amber said.

"What do you mean he's not in his room?" Richie asked.

"I told you, I don't know where he is, but he's not in his room," the nurse said, "are you sure about his name?"

"Yes, yes, yes, Officer Harold Burns, why can't you figure out where he is? Did he check himself out of here?" Amber asked.

"I don't know, I'm going to check with the doctor..."

The nurse left the front desk to speak with the doctor.

"I don't believe this, totally unreliable help," Richie said.

"Richie," Amber said as she tugged on his jacket.

"What is it?" Richie asked.

"Richie, look!"

"What is it?" Richie repeated as he turned around.

"Look!"

"What?"

"Out there!"

Richie looked out the glass doors to the hospital.

"I don't see anything out there, what?" Richie asked.

"There was a man out there, I saw him!"

"Amber, this is Tampa, half the population is men."

"I mean it, Richie...I am not crazy, there was a man out there, and he looked..."

"What? Looked what? Uh...looked like Mel Gibson? What Amber, what?!"

"Damn it Richie! He looked like Mario Venvetta!"

Realizing what she'd said, Amber clamped both hands over her mouth, Richie looked behind them and saw everyone in the front room was looking at them.

Richie took Amber over to the restroom and shoved her inside, he quickly followed.

"Amber..."

"Richie, I know what I saw!"

"I know, but you killed Mario a year ago, he wouldn't be here now, he can't be here now."

"How do you know? He dug up all your Immortal enemies and reanimated them, maybe someone did the same with him," Amber thought.

"Amber...it can't be Mario."

"How do you know?"

"After you killed him, Mac and I burnt his body and buried the ashes...he's not here."

"Well I highly doubt he has an exact double who has the exact same infected hand that he did," Amber said.

"Allright Amber, think...would Mario ever come to Florida?" Richie asked.

"No...he always hated the hot weather, I think that's why he stayed in Jersey most of his life... after that he went to Paris, then Europe, then Germany, draw your own conclusion."

"So it's not very likely that he'd be taking up residence in Tampa," Richie said.

"Right."

"Allright, so he's not here."

"Yes, NO! Richie!"

"Amber, he's gone, he's not here, you probably saw someone that just looked like him," Richie told her, "now come on, we have to find out what happened to Officer Fruitcake."

Richie and Amber walked out of the restroom and back over to the front desk, the nurse came back with a doctor.

"What's going on?" Richie asked.

"You are?" the doctor asked.

"That's not important, we're looking for someone...officer..."

"Harold Burns?" the doctor asked.

"Yes."

"Are you his family?"

"No."

"Well, I'm sorry to tell you this, but Officer Burns died last night."

Richie and Amber looked petrified, the only part of them that moved were their eyes as they opened as wide as was physically possible.

"What!?" they asked in unison.


	4. 4

"He's dead..."

"How is that possible? He just had some damage done to his ribs caused by a fall."

"And you would know this how?" the doctor asked.

"It happened at the university I attend."

"Well, we can't really find any explanation, the coroner's vexed by it himself, it could just be natural causes."

"Natural causes? He's 36 years old, how the fuck does he die of natural causes?" Amber asked.

"We're not sure yet...this happens sometimes, young seemingly healthy people die with no explanation. It's not an assassination kid, these things just happen sometimes."

"This isn't a coincidence," Amber said.

"You're sure that it's not a mistake? You don't have someone else under that name?" Richie asked.

"I'm sorry, sir. There's no mistaking it."

"A fine thing, the first time someone stops addressing me as 'kid' and it's to tell me someone's dead," Richie said as he and Amber headed out to the hospital's parking lot.

"What do you think it was?"

"Huh?"

"He didn't just die, Richie, he took a fall, yes, but not hard enough to kill him."

"You don't know that, he looked pretty bad when they brought him here."

"Whose side are you on? You know what happened just as well as I do, just like what happened today with Julie. Something's going on here, and whoever's doing this stuff at the college is responsible for it."

"Look Amber, I don't doubt that, but we have to look at all the facts here, now come on, let's go."

"What?" Amanda asked.

"You heard me, a 19-year-old girl was burnt today with no explanation," Duncan said.

"Was she badly hurt?" Amanda asked.

"Second degree burns, the doctors sent her home," Methos said.

"I can't believe it."

"Neither can we," Duncan said.

"And you said this was after you found a satanic goat on a desk in the dean's office?"

"No, we found a symbol with a goat in it carved into the desk," Methos explained.

"I swear, I don't know what to expect next," Duncan said.

The back door swung open and Richie came in with Amber seemingly leaning on him for support.

"Richie..." Amanda started.

"I got it, Amanda."

"Is everything allright?" Methos asked.

"Has there been an accident?" Duncan asked.

"It was no accident," Amber emotionlessly said.

"What?"

"It's allright, I got her..." Richie said as he led her into the living room.

Duncan, Methos and Amanda all glared at each other confused, Duncan opened the back door and looked out the back, "Hey Rich, why's your bike the only one here?"

Richie helped Amber down onto the couch and he turned around, "Probably cuz of the accident."

"What accident?" Duncan asked.

"Now Mac, don't get mad, see, we were on our way home from the hospital and we didn't see that these guys just got through with construction, and there was this bulldozer coming her way and she couldn't turn in time so she jumped off and..."

"The hospital? I thought you said that girl went home," Amanda said.

"I did," Duncan replied.

"We didn't go because of Julie, we saw her at her home," Richie said, "that officer who was at the school two weeks ago, we went to see him...he's dead."

"What?" Duncan asked.

"Apparently he died sometime last night, they can't really find anything wrong with him and even though he was just 36, they're thinking natural causes."

"Well what's wrong with Amber?" Amanda asked.

"Off the top of my head, I think the news was a shock to her system," Richie said.

"Why? She never cared for any officer around here," Amanda said.

"It's about the curse, that hex, that satanic pagan hex, now I'm glad I didn't drive my car to the college today, we probably would've been blown up or something," Richie said.

"What?" Amanda asked.

"There was this hex in the school two weeks ago, and the same one that caused that officer the fall down the stairs was drawn onto my car this morning."

"I don't believe this, what in the hell is going on around here?" Amanda asked.

"I wish I knew," Methos said.

"I have to see this for myself" Amanda said as she headed over to the front door.

"Eh, why not?" Methos asked as he followed her out.

Richie and Amber remained on the couch, Amber seeming not to have moved a muscle.

Apparently something at the hospital must've really worked her over, he figured.

"What's wrong with her?" Duncan asked.

"Huh?" Richie asked.

"What's wrong with her?" Duncan repeated.

"I don't know...Mac, she told me she saw Mario outside the hospital...and I don't know, maybe she did, but she has been acting weird for over an hour now."

Duncan slipped over beside Amber on the couch, if ever he'd seen a convincing act for a 'zombie'.

"Amber..."

She didn't seem to hear him, she just continued with her blank stare.

"Richie."

"Yeah Mac?"

"Give us a minute alone, I'll see if I can do anything."

Duncan waited until Richie had left the room, he then grabbed Amber firmly by her shoulders and turned her around to face him.

"What's wrong Amber? What's the matter with you? If you're not going to talk to Richie, then talk to me so we can help you."

Duncan felt his heart skip a beat when Amber blinked, she looked at him for a while, saying nothing until... "Why'd he have to die?"

Before Duncan could utter a word in response, Amber's body fell on top of his and her face was buried in his chest.

"I don't understand, he didn't do anything, why did he have to die?" she asked.

"I don't know Amber, I wish I did," Duncan replied as he held Amber in his arms.

"Somebody killed him, but why? For what reason?"

"You think Mario could've done it?" Duncan asked, half regretting bringing up the past.

"No," she said as she sat up, "I forgot about Mario when I heard Burns died. Something happened Duncan, and it's not anything that I can explain, or you, or anyone else. It had to do with something in that building...that mark. Someone put it on there to kill someone, but why? Now, Julie's suffered a burn after the same thing happens, is she going to die next?"

"I don't know."

"If she died, how would I forgive myself?" Amber asked.

"It's not your fault, Amber, it's not anyone's fault that this happened."

"Yes it is, we just don't know who, what, or why. We don't even know if whoever's responsible for it is still here!"

"Amber."

"Get your damn hands off me, Mac!"

Amber peeled Duncan's hands off her body and fell off the couch, she got up and stormed up to her room.

"Well?" Duncan asked.

"You got further with her than I would've," Richie said, "at least now she's talking."

"To whom?"

"Don't worry Mac, she's just upset, I'm sure she'll be back to her regular self in no time."

"Maybe you should talk to her until she does," Duncan suggested.

"Amber."

"What?"

Richie walked over to the balled up Immortal on the bed, "comfortable?"

"No, just as close to the fetal position as I can get," Amber replied.

"Amber."

"Don't say it, Richie, don't say it."

"What?"

"You think I should apologize to Mac for the way I acted earlier. Well I'm not going to, Richie...I can't figure out what's going on, so I guess it's natural I'm going to explode at someone, but I'm not sorry for it. Richie, I can't figure out for the life of me what's going on, who could be behind this? And for what reason? I don't get it, Richie, I **can't** understand it."

"I understand."

"Who's next? Julie was the next to be injured in the school, does that mean she'll be the next to die? And who'll come after her?"

"I don't know."

Neither one looked at each other, nor spoke to another for several minutes, the only sound in the room was their quickened breathing.

"Richie," Amber finally said.

"What?"

"What if you're next? What if something happens to you? I knew this was coming from the start, that night I asked to sleep with you, I knew something bad would happen, I just didn't know how, or where, or what. If I lose you, Richie...You don't know what'll happen, any of us could be the next to die. And I'd rather it be me than you."

"You don't mean that."

"Like hell, whose name have I defended when it's been drugged through the mud? Who did I try to save from his horny ex-girlfriend? Who did I help get out of his dress and custom made support brassiere because there were too many straps and buckles to them? After it all, Richie, I'm still willing to do some things for you."

Duncan looked through the crack in the door at the two young Immortals lying next to each other in bed, looking peaceful as they slept. Amanda caught him spying on them and went over to him.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Nothing."

"Why're you watching them sleep?" she laughed.

"I was not..." Duncan turned back and shut the door completely before he followed Amanda into their bedroom, "I wasn't watching them sleep, I was just checking in on them. Both of them have been acting weird since they got back from the college today."

"Of course, someone's died with no explanation, it's natural for them to be upset, it happened at their school, they knew something bad would happen, but they didn't know what."

"Well, soon enough it'll all be behind us, Harold Burns is dead, Julie Hopwood is expected to make a fast recovery, and all that satanic symbolism has been removed from the college, now let's get some sleep."

"I don't believe this can be happening again," Duncan said the next day.

Someone had broken into the college in the night and painted the walls in blood red paint, more hexes, more symbols.

"I'm getting too old for this," Dean Rooney said.

"Calm down, at least this time its just graffiti, at least they didn't trash the entire place."

"MacLeod, are you crazy? This is worse than vandalism, these marks on the walls, they're ruining our lives. An officer is dead, a girl was seriously burnt, who knows how many more people will suffer? It...may be more; many, many more...I don't want to take that risk. I just can't figure out who would be doing this, after all that's gone on, I'm not sure I care anymore. I just want it to be over."

"As do I, don't forget, I have two kids who come here everyday, I'm scared to death for their sake. As am I for everyone else in this university. I can't understand it either. I certainly don't want to see anyone else get hurt, but what can we do?"

"I don't know, I just don't know."

The dean rested his head onto his desk. Duncan looked at the writing on the wall, Satan Lives!!! On a wall on the lower floor, it said Death will find ye. This was no simple vandalism kick, not the prank of a rival fraternity or campus. This was a sick game to someone.

Duncan heard a muffled sound come from the behind, he turned around and saw the dean had his hands over his face as he sobbed gently.

"Are you okay?" Duncan asked.

"Mister MacLeod, this college has had its share of problems, but murder and...this...reigns above all other problems we've had...I don't want to see it happen again."

"Well, I can understand them shutting down the school again," Amanda said to Methos, "this time they're thinking of waiting until they catch the culprits, to open it up again."

"I can understand that too...I just hope they're found soon."

"And the sooner the better, those two have been so quiet this morning, you'd think they were at a wake, I can't wait until tomorrow, maybe it'll liven up the place a bit. If nothing else, at least get them to come out of their rooms."

"They'll be fine, I've seen both of them come out of worse than this," Methos said.

Upstairs Richie and Amber were in their room in their own beds, neither one had said a word to each other since the night before. Finally, Richie had enough of the silence he could take.

"Amber..."

"What?"

"Are you allright?"

"As good as I'll ever be. You?"

"Never better."

"Amber..."

"What?"

"Why'd we stop talking to each other last night?"

"Beats the shit out of me."

"Look, I know you're upset, I am too, but that doesn't change anything."

"I guess not."

The two remained silent afterwards. The phone ringing broke the silence, Richie jumped out of bed and answered.

"Hello?"

"_Hello, is this Richard Ryan?"_

"Yeah, why?"

"_Is Amber Jenzon with you?"_

"Who wants to know?"

"_Bring hers and your own ass down to the corner on 14th Avenue tonight by 9 o' clock, we've business to discuss."_

"Who is this?" Richie asked.

A click was all he got in response. Richie hung up the phone.

"What is it?" Amber asked.

"Amanda, dinner looks wonderful," Duncan said as he gazed over the meal.

"Well thank you...tonight, there's potatoes, rice, sweet potatoes, glazed carrots, meatloaf, steak and kidney pies, and French vanilla cake for dessert," Amanda said, "everybody dig in."

The men pulled up their chairs and started dishing up their plates, Amber sat beside Richie, looking down at the floor.

"Amber."

Amber looked up to see what Amanda wanted.

"Yes?" she asked in a barely audible tone.

"Eat something, you'll look like a pencil if you don't," Amanda told her.

"No thank you," she replied in the same quiet tone.

"Oh come on, kid," Methos said, "you don't want to wake up one day with legs like MacLeod's, do you?"

"Thanks a lot," Duncan grunted.

"I'm not hungry," Amber said as she continued to look at the floor.

"Amber, we know you're upset, but you have to eat."

"It won't kill me if I don't," she quietly said.

"Amber," Duncan said.

"Mac, I'm sure it's just ruined her appetite or something of the sort," Richie said.

"Amber...this is ridiculous, you didn't even know this man," Amanda said.

"I don't know anybody in this town, doesn't mean they deserve to die, it doesn't mean it has to be that way, but it did. And that doesn't mean that I can't feel grieve for him either, does it?!" Amber asked as she jumped onto her feet.

"No, I suppose not."

"Thank you very much," Amber said as she turned away from the table.

"Hold it! Amber, get back here, sit down," Duncan said.

"I'm not eating."

"Regardless, you're going to sit down at the table."

"Why should I?" Amber asked.

Duncan got up from his seat at the table to have a word with her, but Richie got in between them.

"You don't," he insisted. Richie went around the table and grabbed a bottle of wine and handed it to Amber, "Take this up to your room, and I'll be up soon."

"You kidding? After a day like I've had, I could stand something mixed of Black Death and all the Demerol in the state."

Regardless, Amber took the bottle and headed upstairs.

"Richie, what's going on?" Amanda asked.

"And if she thinks..."

"Mac, sit down...I didn't want to tell you, but rather than have you make a bigger mess out of the one we already have, I might as well. I got a call from someone earlier; they want me to take Amber down to the corner of 14th Avenue by 9 tonight, and they want me to be there when they show up. Who they are and what they want with us, I don't know, but we're not going to listen to reason or be lectured, we are going down there, we have to," Richie said.

"Why?" Amanda asked.

"Because, we don't know who this guy is, if we don't show tonight, he'll come looking for us, and I don't want this whole household suffering."

"Any idea who it could be?"

"Not a chance in hell...personally I'd rather find out down there rather than here at home."

"What if it's another Immortal?" Duncan asked.

"Why would he want both of us?"

"Take a guess."

"Look Mac, I know what you're probably thinking, and who knows, maybe you're right, but Amber and I are going," Richie said.

"Fine."

"You think we came at a bad time?" Richie asked as he parked the car.

"Give me a break, we're 10 minutes early."

"I know, maybe this guy wanted us to show up at 9, right on the dot."

"Well we're two marks off the dot, so he'll just have to deal with it, whoever he is," Amber said as she checked her watch.

A cold chill in the air made its way through Richie and Amber, chilling them to the bone.

"I wish whoever this guy is would hurry up," Amber said as she pulled her coat together tightly, "with whatever he wants."

"Glad to know you're so optimistic about it," they heard.

"Show-time," Amber whispered to Richie.

Amber pulled a gun out of her pocket at aimed it at the wall she heard the voice from, "Allright whoever the hell you are, come out with your hands above your head, and don't try anything funny or I'll blow your frigging head off!"

"Well now this awkward, that's usually what I say."

The figure came out from behind the wall with his hands over his head, at first it was impossible to make out who it was, but as he stepped closer into the street-light, they came to realize that it was an impossibility.

"Officer Burns!" Amber screamed.

"In the flesh," he laughed as he walked over to them.

Amber put her gun down and hit him, "That was not funny at all, what were you thinking!?"

"Well look, I'm sorry if I gave you guys a scare, but I'm on the verge of finding something out, and the only way I could do that was to put myself out of the picture."

"What?"

"I think I might have an idea who was putting those hexes in the school, but the best way I could continue the investigation was to make it look like I was dead. That way nobody would suspect a thing."

"Then you didn't die, and Julie's not next, then nobody's doomed, this is great," Amber exhaled.

"Not entirely," he replied.

"What?"

"I wouldn't say that nobody's at risk of being in danger, those hexes meant something 6,000 years ago, they probably still mean something today."

"But to whom?" Richie asked.

"Cultists, Satanists, witches, Druids, maybe some religious figures...anyway, I found out about a couple of teenagers who might be responsible for part of it."

"So this is coming from someone at our own school?" Richie asked.

"No, it's a private prep school on the other side of town."

"You mean we're dealing with high school kids?" Amber asked.

"Yes...very dangerous ones. If I were you, I'd be careful."

"You don't need to worry about me, I don't scare easily, I have nerves of steel," Amber said, "meantime Richie has balls to match."

"They come from a very private school, but their private lives however, have more public knowledge to them, they study witchcraft, they specialize in the occult, it was rumored that they were the cause of a human sacrifice a while back, but it was never looked into."

"A **_human _**sacrifice?" Richie asked.

"Yes, there was a horrible battle some time before you came here. These kids were rivals with the younger brother of a student who attends your school. He was harassed by them on a daily basis, finally one day, he reported it to his brother, and his brother came and told the police when it got violent. They were served a restraining order, but it didn't do him any good. Now they have their own younger siblings that seem to be angry at everyone in the college."

"But why now?" Amber asked.

"Because, they specialize in the works of witchcraft, satanic methods and everything else of the sort. They especially practice their work when it comes to sacrifices, even in this day and age, sacrifices are more commonly reported on or around Halloween..."

"Something doesn't seem right," Amber said, "how do you know so much about what happened?"

"Because, 12 years ago, they drew a pentagram on the floor of their school and killed my brother. Everyday I have to be reminded of why I lost him."

Amber calmly exhaled and cursed under her breath, "shit".

"I'm sorry to hear about that," Richie said, "so what do we do now?"

"Well, I found out that they're going to go back to the college tonight, and plant more of their hexes in it."

"What time?"

"Around 10 o' clock."

"Well, let's go," Richie said.

"Go? Go where?" Burns asked.

"Didn't you hear yourself? They're going to break into the college at 10 and put a curse on it, let's be there waiting for them."

Richie, Amber and Harold had arrived early and were on the roof of the university, waiting for them to show.

"You're sure about what you heard?" Amber asked.

"Positive, you'd be surprised what all you can find out when you're 'dead'," he replied.

"Shut up you two, here they come," Richie said.

A black car pulled up and three kids got out and started up the stairs to the school. The three jumped off the roof and pinned the kids to the ground. Harold cuffed one and went into the regular procedure on reading them their rights as Richie and Amber led the others to the back of his squad car.

"Duncan, stop worrying will you? I swear, if you weren't Immortal, you'd give yourself an ulcer," Amanda said.

"She's got a point, give the brats a little more credit, MacLeod," Methos said, "calm down, relax, take your mind off of it."

"That's right, honey, just relax, watch the news, hearing about other peoples' problems will take your mind off it," Amanda said.

Duncan turned on the news right in the middle of a breaking story.

"Two teenagers are proclaimed as the University of Tampa's' heroes tonight. Richard Ryan and Amber Jenzon worked with Officer Harold Burns tonight in an attempt to capture a group of vandalistic terrorists of the university. Marge Collins, 16, Henry Romero, 17, and Shawn Burton, 16, were arrested earlier tonight on charges of breaking and entering, vandalism, attempted homicide, and admitted to murdering 18 people in human sacrifices. Burton, Collins and Romero are the siblings of an older generation of the same terrorist traits, as apparently it runs in the family bloodlines. Yes folks, David Romero, 30, Annie Burton, 31, and Floyd Collins, 30 were also arrested tonight, after police found that the threesome were involved in the vandalism..."

Duncan turned off the TV, Amanda had been watching from a distance and was shocked by the news story. The front door swung open and Richie and Amber came in looking exhausted. Duncan went over to both of them and embraced them.

"What's going on?" Amber asked.

"Haven't you seen the news?" Amanda asked.

"No, we just came from the police station," Richie replied.

"Well, according to the news, you two are heroes," Amanda said.

"A fine thing, I got a half a mind to call those people up and tell them who they should really thank," Amber said.

"Who?"

"Officer Burns, if it weren't for him, we wouldn't have known they were going to break into the college again. Well, my nerves are shot, I'm going to bed," Amber said.

"Me too," Richie added as he followed her up the stairs.

They went to their room, pulled off their boots and jumped into bed.

"Well tonight was a relief."

"It sure was," Amber responded, "and I'm glad that it's over."

"Me too, because I've got news, Amber," Richie said.

"What is it?" Amber asked.

"It's after midnight...Halloween's begun."


	5. 5

"What time does the campus party start?" Amber asked.

"7 o' clock," Methos said.

"Fine, Richie and me can be out of here by 5."

"You're just trying to see if you can give him a heart attack, aren't you?" Methos asked.

"You know me all too well."

Richie came down the stairs and entered the living room, "Allright, I called Shelly and Yvonne, they're going to be there in an hour, so we better get started."

"Indeed, come on Richie."

"Where're you two going?" Amanda asked.

"We're going to be the 'life' of a party full of people from the 18th Century. That takes all the time you can get."

Richie and Amber headed upstairs to their room, leaving Methos and Amanda alone.

"Amazing, they're still going through with this."

"What did you expect them to do?" Methos asked.

"I don't know, but do you think we should at least warn Duncan?" Amanda asked.

"Why? As they said, he's going to have his hands full with 500 drunks kids on campus, he won't have time to go chasing them."

"Which will just leave him worrying."

"Which is their plan."

"Well, you going with him?" Amanda asked.

"Hell no."

"Well what are you doing?"

"Well a few of the teachers who turned down going to the college are getting together themselves around 7."

"Need a date?" Amanda asked.

"Aren't you a married woman?" Methos smirked.

"Oh well, never stopped me before," Amanda said.

"That's the trollop I know," Methos laughed, "why not? Everyone I know there is bringing a date."

"Well, how do I look?" Richie asked as he came out of the bathroom wearing a black suit similar to what was worn in the 1800s.

"Like a dirt poor mortician," Amber said.

"Thanks a lot."

"Okay, okay, if you put on a hat, you could pass as Jack the Ripper..."

"I still have some things to do with it, and I might add that you look like Chico Marx."

"That's a good, that's a the look I'm a trying to pass for," she replied.

"So remind me again, what're we doing?" Richie asked as he adjusted the sleeves on his jacket.

"We get there at 5, have a little harmless fun for an hour, then we go crazy and haunt the entire neighborhood."

"That's pitiful."

"You have a better idea?" Amber asked.

"No, it's pitiful that it takes something like us to haunt the neighborhood...must prove how truly boring it is," Richie explained as he adjusted his tie.

"Well maybe we'll get lucky, and some psychotic maniac who killed his sister 15 years ago and has since been put away in an institution, will break out and come back here to kill off the rest of his family, and we'll get caught in the middle of it," Amber cynically said.

"Funny...well, how do we look?"

"We look like something from Interview with a Vampire, we'll fit in perfectly, now quit screwing around and let's go."

"Boy this is going to be a crazy night for any cops out tonight."

"You're telling me, imagine in one night, Michael Myers and Doctor Loomis in one car, then the Witches of Eastwick in another, then Freddy Kruger, Jason Voorhees, and Boy George in another, and here we are, Louis de Pointe du Lac and Lestat de Lioncourt right behind the rest. Well...come on, Haggis."

"Hagg...you been talking to Connor?"

"Not recently, why?"

"No reason."

"Well, we better get going, the dead won't wait all night."

"Wait a minute Amber, you forgot your hat."

"Oh...where is it?"

"It's right here," Richie picked up her hat, "let me..."

Richie went over to Amber, rammed his fist through her hat and then put it on her head.

"Funny, Richie..." Amber picked up the hat and threw it away, "I'll do just as well without it, come on."

"Where's Mac?" Richie asked.

"He decided to go to the college early and get a good idea of just what he had gotten himself into, before the students actually arrive."

"And where're you going? Taking a shower?" Amber asked as she noticed Methos in his bathrobe.

"No you simpleton," Methos grabbed the end of the robe to remove it.

"Hold it! You're not naked or anything are you?" Richie asked.

"Don't be ridiculous," Methos dropped his robe and awaited the remarks.

"Julius Caesar I presume?" Amber asked.

"Correct, a few of us who aren't going to be chaperoning you kids are having a little get-together of our own."

"Do you have a date?" Amber asked.

"Yes."

Amanda entered the living room in her costume and it only took a second for Richie to find out who she was.

"Cleopatra, Queen of the Nile, am I right?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Well what do you know?" Amber asked, "It's like I'm watching Freaks and Geeks and the television set isn't even on. As much as we'd love to stick around, we have to be going."

"Fine, we'll be leaving ourselves in a couple of hours," Amanda said, "now Richie, remember what I told you."

"Don't get caught!" the two young Immortals said in unison.

They headed out to Richie's car, Richie set the top down and they were off.

"So remind me again where we're going."

"About two miles down from here, then you take a left, and you'll come upon this small wooded area."

"That's where the party is?"

"Don't be dumb, that's where we're leaving the car, through the wooded area is where the party is."

"You sure no one got killed in this place we're going to?"

"Positive, why?"

"Why else would the owners rent it out so cheap?"

"Because they wanted to dump it off on someone else's hands so they could get out for the night," Amber said.

"Whatever..."

"Well Mister MacLeod, let me be the first to thank you for agreeing to do this tonight."

"It's nothing."

"Well I should warn you, these college parties tend to get out of control at times."

"500 drunk kids, no wonder they get out of control. But I don't think we need to worry too much about them."

"Why?"

"Because, the two kids that we really should worry about, that I'm worried about...aren't going to be here tonight."

Richie looked ahead at the small house with dim lights.

"Are you sure this is the right place?"

"Quit being such a baby, I came by last week and checked the place out, come on, they're already here," Amber said.

Richie and Amber walked for a while until they came up to the house.

"Ready to go in?"

"Maybe we should knock first," Richie said.

"Oh for heaven's sake."

Amber jiggered with the knob and opened the door, "Hey everybody! We're here!"

There were close to 20 other people inside already, all dressed from a past century.

"Amber, Richie, welcome, can I take your coats?" Eddie asked.

"No, just tell me where Rick Mahoney is," Amber said.

"He's over bobbing for apples," Eddie pointed.

"Say no more."

"So Richie, how's it feel to be a town celebrity? Everyone's been talking about you all day."

"Well it was nothing really."

"Nothing my ass. Mr. Big Shot, HEY LADIES! Look who just flew in."

Richie found himself surrounded by women, some dressed like fancy figures from the 1800s, and others in flapper dresses. Amber looked over from the table at Richie.

"Sucker," she said.

She turned around, placed her arms behind her back and lowered her head into the bowl, trying to get her teeth on an apple. She immediately drank in the wine before she came across the skin of an apple. She cornered it on the bottom of the bowl and brought it up in her mouth.

"She looks like a stuffed pig!" Rick laughed.

Amber grabbed onto the apple as she bit into it, as she removed it, everyone stared at her.

"Yeah well, that would make two pigs here this evening," she told him.

She turned around and realized everyone was looking at her. She looked down and saw blood in the bowl and on the white tablecloth, and on her apple. She ran her fingers over her chin, they were covered in blood. Someone screamed, she then saw Richie running towards her.

"Amber what hap...Oh my God!" he shrieked.

Amber stepped back and placed her hands over her mouth as she looked on in horror.

"Oh my God," she said, "I can't believe this...I have to say something now."

Amber lowered her hands and screamed, "Gotcha!"

Everyone exhaled in relief; Eddie went over to Amber and slapped her.

"That just wasn't funny at all!" he said.

"Oh I don't know about that," Richie screamed, "I though it was hysterical!"

"Allright everybody, so a tasteless prank was pulled, you'll get over, and if you don't...WHO CARES?!" Richie laughed.

"Yeah, it's Halloween, everyone's entitled to one good scare," Amber added.

"I've had my share for the night," Yvonne said.

"Oh allright, everybody go back to what you were doing, we'll continue the party here, then once it gets really dark, we go out and terrorize the whole town," Amber said as she wound up an old Victrolia.

Some of the guests started slow dancing, others went back to talking, Richie came back over to Amber with a lady on his arm, wearing a toga.

"Hey Amber, this is Gail Widen."

"Nice to meet you, what the hell do you want?" Amber asked.

"Gail's taking Meteorology and Algebra I at our school."

"Wonderful, what's she doing here? A dress like that she should be over on the campus."

"You said yourself we'll be leaving here in a while, so be nice until then," Richie said.

"You know Methos, it's real drafty out here," Amanda said.

"I know, I know."

"But it's worse for me, I'm in a skirt," Amanda said.

"What do you think this is?" Methos asked as he tugged on his costume, "a 3-piece suit?"

"Come on, let's just go in and enjoy the party," Amanda said.

They went in and were in for a surprise. They were the only ones in costume!

"Oh God," Amanda groaned as she slapped her forehead, "I thought you said this was a costume party."

"I did...that's what I was told."

"Mr. Pierson, how nice of you to join us," Mrs. Thornberg, the Algebra teacher said.

"Oh...nice to see you too, Abigail," he said as he stared at the floor.

"Is this your wife?"

"No, she's just my date."

"Oh well..." Mrs. Thornberg said as she gazed at their clothes, "do you have some traditional customs in your families?"

"Uh, no," Methos smiled as his face turned red.

"You see, Mrs. Thornberg," Amanda said, "we thought that we were coming to a costume party tonight," she laughed, "it's kind of funny once you think of it."

However, Abigail wasn't laughing.

"I'm sure it is," she said in a tasteless tone, "for you maybe."

She turned and went back to some of the other guests.

"Oh God," Amanda moaned, "maybe we should just go. Maybe Mac could use our help at the party."

"Why should we leave? I think I'm going to make myself right at home," Methos said.

Methos headed over to the bar, and Amanda followed, a few of the men were already there, and near drunk out of their minds.

"Did anyone hear about the bowler that lost his head in the ball return machine? He came to the alley every Halloween night, you know what they said about him?" one man asked.

"Heads are gonna roll," Methos said.

"Exactly!" the man laughed, "Hey, hey, come here, you look like a man of fine class, let me buy you a drink...Hey bartender! Bartender, how much for your best vodka?"

"Al, you know where you are, the drinks are free, go lie down and wait for your hangover to kick in," another man said.

"Oh forget that, I can't get any sleep, those damn birds live in the tree outside my window, they keep me up all night," he said.

"If you want to scare them away, an owl should do the trick," Methos said.

"An Al, I AM an Al," he said.

"No, an owl! You know, hoo! Hoo!" Methos said.

"What?"

"Hoo!"

"Huh?"

"Hoo!"

"Huh? What?"

"Hoo!"

"Who Al who?"

"Not an Al who, OWL HOO!"

"Hoo?"

"Hoo!"

"I already told you, I'm Al."

"Not who! Hoo! An owl! It's a short pudgy bird that twists its neck all the way around, and it comes out at night and its eyes glow and if you're not careful, it'll dig its beat into your scalp and act like a jackhammer!" Methos exclaimed as he jumped up and down.

"Oh, an owl. I know them."

Methos let out a frustrated wail as he fell back and hit the floor.

"Nice view," an older lady said as she walked by.

Methos got back onto his feet and put down his toga, he went over and grabbed Amanda by the arm, "Come on, Amanda, let's see if MacLeod needs our bloody help."

It was completely dark now, the only light in the house was coming from candles spread across the house. Rick was wearing a black cloak, and was surrounded by blood red candles burning.

"The sun is gone and all is well, now is the time to break loose, and to run wild, and above all, to terrorize the whole town," he ended his comment with a sinister laugh.

Everyone ripped off their old clothes and let them drop to the floor. The candles were put out, and they all ran off in the night in their real costumes. Immediately, everyone found themselves surrounded by several odd looking figures. Hooded figures, phantoms, others in robes like Druids, then came the really weird ones. Richie found he'd lost Amber back some ways and went back and found her lying on the ground and in the street.

"What happened to you?" he laughed.

"I don't know, two fairies came and grabbed me by the arms and spun me around, then they left. Then this guy in an oversized raincoat and a hat with two sets of claws nearly shish-kabobbed me, then I got knocked down by this guy who looked like Dr. Loomis from Halloween. Then I got stepped on by someone who strongly resembled Gomez Addams. Care to help me up?"

Richie said nothing and jerked Amber up out of the small ditch beside the road.

"Where to now?"

"We're all going to meet up on 10th Street."

"Allright you heard the lady, 10th Street is where we go next," Richie said.

Everyone hopped in their cars and drove away.

On 16th Street, a police officer was on stakeout in his car, watching for anything unusual. It seemed to be a boring night, then he saw it, a few cars came by with a group of people in crazy costumes. He got on the radio and back to the station.

"What's all the racket, Hubert?" the chief asked.

"A car just went by with a skeleton and a bear in it," he said.

"A skeleton and a bear?" the chief choked.

"Now here goes one with a bumblebee in the driver's seat, and a flower beside it."

"Bumblebee and a flower?"

"And here comes one with a chicken driver, and a Dalmatian beside it."

"A chicken driver and a Dalmatian passenger?" the chief laughed.

"Now here comes one with a...oh no!"

"What? What?"

"An airplane pilot and an escaped convict just came driving by in an airplane!"

The chief was now on the floor, rolling around and laughing, "Oh really? Is it a 747, or is it just a small one for two people? One in back and one in front?"

"The pilot's in the front, and the convict's in the back with a satchel in his hands!"

"What?" the chief shrieked.

"And now here comes one with a gypsy and a goose in a Roman toga."

The chief rolled onto his back as he laughed again, "This is too good."

"Now, here comes one with a demon and a priest. What do you think I should do?"

"I think you should take a week off, Charlie, I think you need a rest."

"But Lieu, they all seem to be heading the same way, up near 10th Street, who'll follow them?"

"Look Charlie, I'm sure there's a perfect...logical..." the chief resisted laughing, "explanation for all these misfits coming together. I'll get Powell on the case. You go home, take two aspirin and call a good psychiatrist in the morning."

"What're you mixing up, Troy?" Shelly asked.

"Bloody margaritas."

"What?"

"Bloody marys with margaritas, get drunk twice as fast on different concoctions," he said.

"If you don't die from it first."

"Yeah, here, try one," he said as he offered her a goblet.

"I'm not drinking that."

"Well I'm not drinking it without testing it first."

"Hey Richie..."

"Yeah?"

Shelly took the goblet and handed it to Richie, "Here, try this and tell me what you think.

Richie accepted the goblet, tilted his head back and downed the drink with one gulp, "S' not bad."

Troy picked up another goblet and downed it himself.

"I like it."

"Good for you," Shelly said.

Amber picked up a large pumpkin with an unusual face carved in it. She blew out the candle and threw it at a window, ultimately smashing it. A man came to the window and waved his fist in the air.

"You damn kids! I'll call the police!"

"Let them, this is Halloween, you couldn't get any cops available in the county," Steven laughed.

A bunch of the kids had already gotten drunk and had started doing the bunny-hop, but as a result of how much they had to drink, they were unable to keep their balance and they tripped up three others in the fall.

"What a night," Richie said.

"You're telling me, how often is it you see Screaming Jay Hawkins, Michael Myers, a leopard woman, a fairy, three witches and a skull with a wreath of roses on his head all get together and do the Calypso?"

"Are you enjoying yourself?"

"Let's see, I've egged some cars, and some people, soaped some windows, busted some pumpkins, and busted some bimbos on the corner, yeah, how bout you?"

"I'm doing okay, I guess."

"Where's your lovely Gail?"

"I don't know, since we took off our first set of clothes at the house, I don't know what she's wearing."

"At the house she was wearing a toga, you can imagine what she's wearing now. A pair of sandals and a big smile."

"Richie."

Richie turned around, "Gail. What're you doing here?"

"What're you doing dressed like a poison ivy plant?" Amber asked.

"I got lost on the way over, did I miss anything?"

"Nothing that can't be done again a dozen times before sunrise," Amber said.

"I'd say this is turning out to be a good night," Richie said.

The party was broken up by flashing blue and red lights as the policemen wailed on the siren as they came up. Some of the kids took off, others froze, and others put their hands up as the cops stepped out of the car.

"Well, well, well," one said, "what have we here? A Woodland fairy," he said as he walked past Gail, "a demon," he added as he passed Amber, "and a...Richie Ryan?"

"Oh shit," Richie muttered.

"Richie, who the hell is this?" Amber asked.

"Oh, let me introduce you, Satan, Amber Jenzon, Amber Jenzon, my worst enemy from Washington, Sergeant Powell."

"Powell the pain in the ass?" Amber asked.

"Nice to know you're speaking so highly of me," Powell smirked, "now put your hands on the hood."

"Mister MacLeod, someone's here to see you," Mr. Henderson said.

Duncan headed down the stairs to the entrance of the school as he saw Julius Caesar and Cleopatra walk in.

"Adam, Amanda, what're you doing here?"

"Well we had a prior engagement but it didn't work out," Amanda said, "we thought we'd come here and help you. How's the party going?"

"How's it going? Take a look around," Duncan said.

The school was filled with everybody in weird costumes, dancing and drinking and laughing up some bad jokes.

"I don't know why we even bothered coming here, nothing's going on."

"Yes, because you're here, the party's dead, now, come midnight when this party ends, they're going to get together and start a rave like they always do," Methos said.

"Well, seeing as how I came all the way here," Amanda said, "would you be interested in a dance before we leave?"

"The pleasure would be mine, and Adam," Duncan said.

"I know MacLeod, when I cut in, I dance with Jezebel, not with you. If you'll need me, I'll be at the bar, and if anyone starts a joke about a bowler and an accident with the ball return machine, I'm leaving."

The DJ switched over to a different song for a slow dance. Duncan and Amanda made their way to the center of the floor and twirled around before Duncan dipped Amanda.

"Now this is a party," Amanda said.

"I was hoping you'd see it my way," he smirked.

"Mister MacLeod, Mister MacLeod!" Mr. Henderson said as he came down the stairs.

"Well that didn't last long," Amanda said as they broke away from one another.

"What is it, Sean?"

"Phone for you, it's the police department."

"Damn it!" Amanda silently said to herself as she stubbed her heel on the floor, "I told them not to get caught."

"I'm sorry Amanda, what'd you say?" Duncan turned around.

"I said...damn it, the heel of my shoe got caught...ooh, hurts like hell."

"The police? What do they want?"

"I don't know, but Sergeant Powell said..."

"Sergeant Powell!?"

"That's right, he said..."

"What line?"

"Two."

Duncan went back into the office and picked up the receiver, "Hello?"

"I thought you died," Richie said.

"Surprisingly enough, I thought the same thing about you," Powell smirked, "I guess we were both wrong. Now, MacLeod is going to be down here soon, I suggest you get comfortable for the time being."

Powell went into the back room of the police department.

"What do we do?" Gail asked.

"I don't know, first the cops are going to kill me, then Mac's going to come down here and kill me all over again," Richie said.

"Now hold on everyone, it ain't over yet," Amber said, "they brought us in because of a so-called 'serious' charge, if we can convince them that there's nothing serious to us, they might let us go."

"How do we do that?"

"Yeah, how?"

"Well, what have we here?" the chief of police asked, "oh no, you must be the demon and the priest that Charlie told me about...allright, what've we got you booked on?"

"Uh..."

"I shot someone 200 times, single handedly, left him with more holes than a sponge," Richie said.

"I was burnt at the stake 300 years ago, now look at me," Amber said.

"I used to be a Birmin cat, until I met her," Gail said.

"I got a car that's haunted," Amber said, "I should know, I rode in it, look at me, I'm 77 years old, I used to have liver spots and arthritis."

"I got picked up for yelling at a fire hydrant!" Richie said.

"I went to visit my mother at the hospital, she just gave birth to triplets, three beautiful bowling balls, all girls," Gail said.

"They tried to shoot me cuz I climbed up a traffic sign pole," Amber said.

"My garbage hasn't been picked up in three days," Gail said, "today it bit me."

"I have a steel plate in my head," Amber said, "now I get The Movie Channel through my eyeballs."

"Allright, everybody hold it!" the chief said, "who brought you in?"

Sergeant Powell came out of the back room in the station, all three pointed to him.

"I see, you three are free to go, Powell, I want to have a word with you."

"On what?" Powell asked.

"Well goodbye, good luck, farewell," the three said.

"Merry Christmas Mr. President," Amber saluted, "see ya on Mars."

All three turned and ran out of the station.

"Powell, what did you pick those three up for?"

"You told me to."

"I told you to investigate, not bring in innocent bystanders on false charges. I've been getting a lot of complains about you, Powell, and quite frankly, I'm sick and tired of it."

The chief chewed Powell out for several minutes, at that time, Duncan came in.

"What's going on?" Duncan asked.

"Mister MacLeod, I have...I HAD brought your..."

"Nothing, nothing at all Mister MacLeod, I'm sorry but I do believe Powell's gotten you down here for no reason. I'm terribly sorry about the mix-up."

"They don't want us out on the streets where society will see us, fine, we'll go somewhere else, we'll go to the graveyard, nobody will bother us there."

"How could they? They're all dead," Myron laughed.

"Well then it's settled, to the cemetery," Amber said, "CHARGE!"

Everyone jumped in their cars and headed to the Eternal Peace cemetery, slightly off the boarders of being in town.

"This place is a mess," Richie said.

"They're all dead, what do you expect them to do? Tidy up their final resting place?"

"Allright, everyone out of the cars," Gail said.

The group of disturbing, hyper teenagers got out of their cars and headed into the cemetery. Some of them took cubes of beer out of their cars, others took out floodlights so they could actually see the place, one kid took out a boom box and set it in the middle of the graveyard and turned it on.

"Didn't I see this in a movie once?" Richie asked.

"Yes," Amber said as she grabbed a couple of beers, "but we don't have some tramp dancing naked on a tomb."

"That can be arranged," Cynthia laughed.

"No you're not, you're keeping your clothes on," Amber said.

Cynthia laughed and headed back to her date.

"Can you believe her?" Amber asked.

Amber popped the top off a bottle of sweet and sour scotch and downed a third of it.

"Well you know how hormones get."

"No I wouldn't I got no hormones, I already told you that," Amber said.

Amber took another drink of the scotch and broke the bottle and laughed, "You know Richie, you look good tonight...oh man, I've had enough to drink."

"You want to go home?"

"No! Of course not, hell no, let's stay here...and find a place to...to...two deacons, a reverend and a rabbi walk into a bar and..."

"Oh yeah, you HAVE had enough to drink," Richie said.

"Yeah well, c'mon, sit down with me until the cemetery stops spinning," Amber said.

Richie took Amber's hand and helped her down onto the ground.

"Y' know Rishie," she said, "I'm sho glad you came out here with me tonight."

"I'm glad I came too," he said.

"Yeeeeaaaah, you know. You know how to have a good time...Rishie..."

"Yes Amber?"

Amber leaned into Richie and kissed him hard for a few seconds before breaking for air.

"I was beginning to miss that," Richie laughed.

"Me too."

"Come on Amber, I think you can be clarified as intoxicated. I think I better get you home," Richie said as he grabbed Amber's hands to pull her up.

"No Rishie!" Amber screamed, "I don't wunna go home, I'm a gonna sh'tay with you."

"Okay then, we'll stay here until you sober up."

"Good."

Richie held Amber gently so she wouldn't think anything of it. If she were sober, she wouldn't let him touch her at all, so he considered this a miracle.

"So you basically made that trip down there for nothing," Amanda said.

"In a nutshell."

"Well it doesn't matter, it's nearing midnight, so now those kids are out doing whatever they want," Methos said.

"Where's Richie and Amber?

"They haven't come back yet," Methos said.

"Well where are they?"

"Amber gave me the address, hold on, I'll go get it," Amanda said.

"Really MacLeod, you're worrying too much."

"Oh am I?" Duncan asked, "This is Halloween, a night when anything could happen, and it usually does."

"MacLeod."

"You don't know them like I do, they could be anywhere."

"They're at 514 22nd Mockingbird Lane right beyond that wooded area," Amanda said as she came down the stairs with a scrap of paper in her hands.

Duncan threw on his jacket and headed out the door.

"Duncan, where're you going?"

"I'm going to go get them and bring them back."

"Rishie..." Amber said, her voice muffled by her face buried in Richie's chest.

"What is it, Amber?"

"Wha time is it?"

"Nearing 1 in the morning," Richie said.

"Well," she said, getting up from the ground, "I've had about all the culture of the deceased I can stand. Let's go."

"Go where?"

"Who cares? Most of the party's broken up, let's go drinking, let's go gambling, let's go see a horror flick, I don't care but let's leave the graveyard," Amber said.

"Okay."

As Amber and Richie neared the exit of the cemetery, Eddie jumped out from behind the bushes and seemed to be wrestling a pumpkin.

"What are you doing?" Amber asked.

"I thought..." Eddie gasped, "I thought it was Myron. I was trying to wring his neck."

"Wonderful, well, Richie and I are leaving, goodnight," Amber said.

Hand in hand, Richie and Amber headed back to his car, "where to now?"

"Let's get back to Main Street," Amber said.

"I've seen better parties in my time," Amanda said.

"So have I...I remember one time, someone poured a keg of beer into the bowl we used to bob for apples," Methos said, "everyone got drunk by 12 o' clock, by 1 o' clock we were all bombed, by sunup we were all butt naked and some of us woke up covered in moss and leafs."

"I remember one year I got so drunk, I danced with every man in a bar, and was dipped by three men...and tipped by four more."

The phone rang, Amanda answered it, "Hello?"

"Have they come home?"

"What are you talking about, Duncan? No they haven't come home yet."

"Well they're not here, where else could they be?"

"Maybe they're on their way home," Amanda said.

"I'll check on the way back," he said.

"Are you sure this is the way back we came?"

"Positive."

"Well, what's going on? Where is everyone?"

The streets were practically empty, a lot of houses still had their lights on, but there was no one to be seen.

"I don't know," Richie said.

"Oh well, let's just go home," Amber said, "I'm getting tired."

"You sure?"

"I know when I'm tired, Richie."

"I mean about going home."

"Of course, I...Richie..."

"What?"

"Stop the car."

"What?"

"Stop the car."

Richie slammed on the brakes and turned around, "What is it?'

"Look ahead, what do you see?"

Richie looked ahead, standing on the next corner, behind the bushes, was a man in a black facemask.

"What do you think it is?"

"It's Rick...he wants to get back at me for the apple stunt."

"What do we do?"

"Get out of the car, I have an idea."

Amber grabbed something from under the front seat and they stepped out and started walking down the street.

"What is it?" Richie asked.

"I saw something come down here."

"What?"

"I don't know, but I tell you, it was..."

The man came out of the bushes and pulled out a large knife and came at Amber, she fell back and threw a brick at the figure. The figure just narrowly dodged it and immediately removed his mask.

"Amber, what the hell do you think you're doing?" he asked, "can't you take a joke?"

"Obviously better than you can."

Laughter was heard from different parts of the block, one by one, several of the men from the basketball team and the football teams at the college came out from hiding, laughing their heads off.

"Oh, good one Mahoney, 'she'll never guess its you'," one said before busting out laughing.

"Amber, I'm going to get you for this," he said, waving his fist at her.

"Please, you couldn't get me if you had all the barbiturates in the county," Amber said.

The men started laughing even harder.

"She got you there, Mahoney."

"Come on Richie, let's get out of here before he throws a tantrum," Amber said.

Richie and Amber ran back to his car and got out of there.

"Back home now?"

"No, let's go somewhere to be alone," Amber said.

"What?"

"Just do it."

"Allright."

"I drove back here as slowly as I could and took every way possible, I still couldn't find them and you mean to tell me they still aren't here?"

"That's right."

"I don't believe this!"

"Duncan, don't get overexcited."

"I'll kill them!"

"Duncan!"

"I'm going out and I'm looking for them again, I'll find them, and when I do, they are not going to be able to sit for a week, I'll see to it personally."

Duncan rushed out the door, got in his T-bird and stormed off again.

"Do you think he'll find them?"

"Honestly?" Methos asked.

"Yes."

"I think they'll be back before he is."

"Nobody's been here for years."

"Why is that?" Amber asked as she lay on a large flat stone beside the stairs.

"It's my understanding that there was a misfortune in the family, and they left shortly afterwards," Richie said as he made himself comfortable on the steps.

"Murder?"

"They think so...since then, nobody's lived here."

"Wonderful...another Michael Myers case..."

"Well you said you wanted an interesting evening."

"I'm glad no one's here..."

"Why?"

"Because, the last thing I want is for Duncan, or Sergeant Powell to come down here and go down our throats for something...I swear, they say everyone's entitled to privacy, so why aren't we getting any?"

"Hey guys!"

"And apparently we're not getting any now."

Amber got up on the stone, "What is it, Chuck?"

"I just got word that Mac's looking for you guys."

"Oh shit."

"Where is he?"

"Uh...currently he's making his way through 9th street."

"Well, which way's he heading?"

"This way."

"Come on Richie, let's get out of here. Chuck, you wanna come with us?"

"Hell no, if you get caught I don't want my ass being in the fire."

"Fair enough, see you in the morning."

They jumped in their car and took off, a few minutes later, Duncan's T-bird pulled up and he got out.

"Chuck, have you seen Richie and Amber?"

"Not since tonight at the party," he replied.

"Do you have any idea where they'd be?"

"Other than back at home...no."

"Well thank you anyway."

"Well, my car's parked out back in the alley, now what'll we do?"

"How about we hide out over there at the theater?"

"And do what?"

"They're showing older horror movies, let's go, if we hurry, we could catch Halloween H20."

"Amber, what time do you have?"

"1:45, why?"

"No reason."

They headed in and got their tickets and dove in the back row just in time to catch the opening of the movie.

"This has been a long night," Richie said.

"And it's going to be even longer."

Duncan woke up and saw bright lights overhead, his whole body hurt, even his eyes hurt. It took him a while to realize where he was. The hospital, he was in the hospital, but why?

What was wrong with him? Every inch of his body hurt and he didn't know why he was in the hospital?

He heard the door open and Amanda rushed in.

"Duncan, are you okay?"

"What happened?"

"You were in an accident, you were found upside-down in your car, knocked unconscious...How are you feeling?"

"Like I look I imagine...Have they come home yet?"

"I don't know, I've been waiting out there for an hour now."

"And Methos?"

"He's out there too. What happened?"

"I dinna remember," he said, "I know I went looking for them, but I don't remember how I got in the accident."

"You must've really been damaged to not have healed yet."

"What've I got?"

"A few broken bones, some deep cuts, and they think you knocked something loose in your chest."

"Well, soon I should be able to get out of here...although how I'll do that I don't know."

"Don't you worry, I have the best doctor in the county, he'll find a way."

"A doctor?"

"Yes, Dr. Pierson."

Richie and Amber had sat through Halloween H20 and Interview with a Vampire and were ready to head for home.

"What time is it?" Richie asked.

"Little after 4 in the morning."

"Look."

The sun was already rising, the town was gold and pink and red with the light.

"Let's head for home, and pray we beat Mac home."

They ran back to the alley, jumped in his car, and headed straight for home and got there in a record 10 minutes. They climbed up the siding up to their window and jumped into their beds. 20 minutes later, they heard Duncan's voice and his footsteps booming up the stairs and he threw the door open and barged in.

"Richie! Amber!"

"Wha is it?" Richie yawned.

"Mac, give me a break, I woke up two hours ago to get my boots off, do I have to put them on again already?" Amber asked.

"What? How long have you been here?" Duncan asked.

"Oh, probably...what was it Richie? 12:30 or 1:00? I don't remember I was so tired."

"Fell asleep right after we got in," Richie said.

"I---I'm sorry, you two go back to sleep...I must've been out longer than I thought..."

Duncan closed the door as he left, Amber got out of her bed and jumped into Richie's.

"Are you tired, Richie?"

"No. Are you?"

"No."

"So what'll we do?"

"Well, we don't have to go back to school till tomorrow...you take a shower, I'll get us some coffee."

"Me take a shower?"

"Yeah, you reek of those bloody margaritas we had," Amber said.

"Eh, goody, hard-core alcohol one night, and ice cold Frappuccino the next day," Richie smirked.

"Yep, another year, another good scare, another night we got away with murder, went to hell and back...Gotta love Halloween, really gets the adrenaline going."


End file.
